Our study investigates the challenges encountered by learners and teachers of physical sciences in rural schools, specifically in the Joe Gqabi district of South Africa. We utilised self-study and constructivism theories in rural settings to examine the complex challenges for physical sciences in rural schools. In an interpretivist qualitative research methodology, we purposefully selected four rural high schools for our study, involving four physical sciences teachers and twelve learners. Interviewing served as the primary means of data collection, with thematic analysis of the acquired data. Our findings uncovered several challenges, including a lack of resources and laboratories, poor teaching, the abstract nature of the curriculum, large class sizes, and language difficulties, among others, encountered by both teachers and learners of physical sciences in rural schools. We offer significant information for policymakers, school managers, and the stakeholders in basic education, for creating specific actions and policies that support equitable educational opportunities and enhance the quality of physical sciences education in rural areas. We ask government to augment its funding in rural schools by allocating more resources and improving infrastructure.